How to Propagate a Plant With Rooted Stem Cuttings

Take a cutting from a favorite plant in a friend's garden, keeping it moist with a damp paper towel.

No need for garden envy -- when you see a plant you covet in the garden of a friend or family member, it doesn't hurt to ask for a cutting. Propagating plants from stem cuttings is a thrifty way to increase your supply of plants and reinvigorate aging plants. You can propagate to expand your supply of your own favorite plantings as well. Many plants propagate easily with cuttings and can be ready to grow on their own in a matter of weeks.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp knife
• Pot or tray
• Coarse sand or peat and perlite
• Plastic bag

Instructions

1. Locate a healthy stem at least 6 inches long with no buds. Stem selection is the most important part of this process. If you select a stem that is unhealthy, you will not have a successful stem cutting.

2. Cut the stem using either a sharp knife or a sharp pruning knife. Using a dull knife can damage both the donor plant and the new cutting.

3. Remove any leaves from the bottom one-third to half of the stem, and remove any flowers. By doing this, you are conserving the plant's energy, as it will not be trying to support the growth.

4. Fill a pot or seed-starting tray with coarse sand or a 50-50 mix of peat and perlite.

5. Place the cutting vertically in the rooting bed, inserting the end at least an inch into the medium.

6. Keep the cutting moist. Place in indirect sunlight. Cover with a plastic bag. Mist often with water to main humidity around the cutting.

7. Allow the stem to grow larger before permanent transplanting.

Tips & Warnings

• Apply rooting hormone to the raw end of your cutting before placing it in the planting medium to speed rooting.

References

• North Carolina State University Extension; Plant Propagation by Stem Cuttings; Erv Evans, et al.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish